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Chromoly barrel vs Stainless barrel

Lefty Trigger

Lefty Trigger

Every rifle I have ever built has been with some make of stainless barrel. I recently purchased a "cost savings" chromoly barrel for a .308 project rifle and I am quite impressed with the quality, looks, and performance of this "cost savings" barrel. Their break-in instructions for their chromoly barrel state that "Chromoly is more resistant to abrasion than stainless" if this is the case why so many stainless barrels used in competition instead of chromoly? Now I'm curious how well it holds up...
 
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I have had two chrome moly barrels over the last couple of years and am returning to stainless. All came from the same gunsmith who makes his own barrels with his own choice of alloy. Each shot extremely well and despite early-onset fire cracking the throats did not wear much. I live on Coastal Oregon and bore corrosion became a problem even with Golden Rods and Silica in the safe and oil in the bore before storing.
That said I have been told the primer choice may have also been to blame as I was using some Eastern Block primers for a while.
Stainless is softer but they still last long enough to be useful to 2500-3000 rounds of .308.
 
watercam said:
I have had two chrome moly barrels over the last couple of years and am returning to stainless. All came from the same gunsmith who makes his own barrels with his own choice of alloy. Each shot extremely well and despite early-onset fire cracking the throats did not wear much. I live on Coastal Oregon and bore corrosion became a problem even with Golden Rods and Silica in the safe and oil in the bore before storing.
That said I have been told the primer choice may have also been to blame as I was using some Eastern Block primers for a while.
Stainless is softer but they still last long enough to be useful to 2500-3000 rounds of .308.
Click to expand...


Who is the gunsmith that makes his own barrels and chooses his own alloy?
 
Lilja - the hyperlink - says that stainless is more abrasion and heat resistant, but in the context where both would be most evident, there seems to be a 180 in favor of chromemoly.

I have read this linked information a few times now, and I can’t help but think that when barrel rifling is really going to be tested, Lilja believes stainless takes the back seat.

“An exception to the above is the large number of 50BMG barrels we make from chrome-moly. Our recommendation for steel choice with 50BMG barrels depends on the bullet type the shooter intends to use. If you are going to use conventional jacked bullets, such as the Hornady or ball ammunition, then the stainless steel barrels will probably last longer and foul less. But if your choice is one of the custom made lathe-turned bullets made from brass, bronze, copper, or even steel, then the chrome-moly barrels will probably last longer and give better accuracy. Please see our comments on moly coating and these types of bullets. If you plan to shoot both types of bullets then the chrome-moly barrels are a better choice.”
 
This is about the only information I have confidence in. A barrel maker who supplies pressure and accuracy barrels to many ammunition manufacturers. Case in point one manufacturer uses stainless and another uses CM. Both test according to SAAMI specs and procedures so this should be a valid comparison with very little difference in procedures. Same magnum caliber. Each replace their barrels at almost exactly the same round count.
 
Something I read a long time back was that the best reason for using stainless as opposed to chrome-moly is that the stainless barrel will break-in faster.
 
Just fyi.
I was about to post this very question. The 'auto search' function showed this link.
The link to Lija was very helpful.
 
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